Since 1998, French animated films have attracted around 31 million foreign spectators, compared to 24 million in France.
Foreign admissions to French animated films are 28% higher than results in the home market, a margin that is not seen in any other French film genre.
Since 1998, nine titles have crossed the million admissions mark in international markets, against seven titles in France. Animated films prove to be more easily exportable and more accessible to audiences, due largely to the absence of language barriers, a generally longer distribution period in theaters, and the fact that they are often aimed at family audiences.
Ten films out of thirty-one titles earned higher admissions scores outside France than at home. These films include titles that were generally more internationally-oriented from the outset (such as Arthur and the Minimoys aka Arthur and the Invisibles and Igor), festival award-winning auteur films (such as The Triplets of Belleville and Persepolis), or those depicting well-known characters from comic books or television series (such as Asterix at the Olympic Games, Dragon Hunters, and The Magic Roundabout).
Other film styles, often highly ambitious projects (such as Renaissance, Azur and Asmar, and Raining Cats and Frogs) enjoyed less success with foreign audiences, registering the majority of their admissions in France.
The majority of upcoming French animated films target international audiences, including Totally
Spies (a television series broadcast around the world), La Nuit des Enfants Rois, and Un Monstre à Paris (a EuropaCorp production).
Western Europe remains the leading market for French animated films. Certain films do, however, meet with success in the United States, as was the case for Igor (close to 3 million admissions), Persepolis (650,000 admissions), and The Triplets of Belleville (1,196 million admissions). Added to this is the growing strength of the Russian market, in which Dragon Hunters registered 345,000 admissions last year.
